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00:00DAVID: TESLA'S CEO ELON MUSK FINDS HIMSELF A CONSISTENT TARGET OF INTERNET TROLLS. POLICE ONE OF THOSE TROLLS TURNS OUT TO BE FICTIONAL. CAROL MASSAR AND OLIVER RENICK TALK TO BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK'S REPORTER ABOUT THE REPORTER TARGETING ELON MUSK. >> HE'S A FAKE OP-ED WRITER. HIS BYLINE APPEARS ON WEBSITES, PARTICULARLY POLITICALLY CONSERVATIVE WEBSITES, AND WHOEVER IS BEHIND THE SHEPARD STEWART IDENTITY IS VERY MUCH INTENT UPON CRITICIZING ELON MUSK, THE VERY WELL-KNOWN TECH ENTREPRENEUR AND MOGUL WHO IS AFFILIATED WITH COMPANIES LIKE TESLA AND SPACEX, AND HE HAS SOME ENEMIES OUT THERE IN THE WORLD WHO WANT TO ATTACK HIM BUT DON'T DO IT IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY. >> SPECIFICALLY YOU DELVE INTO ONE CORNER OF THE INTERNET WHICH IS LARGELY -- OPPOSITION HE FACES FROM AN INDUSTRY SPECIFIC STANDPOINT, MANY PEOPLE WHOSE BEST INTERESTS MAY NOT BE ALLIED WITH ELON MUSK'S. TELL US ABOUT WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE FROM. >> MY STRONG SUSPICION IS THAT HIS COMMERCIAL COMPETITORS PERHAPS AT A COUPLE OF LEVELS HAVE HIRED FIRMS WHO MAY BE HAVE HIRED FIRMS WHO ARE GOING OUT, PUTTING WEBSITES UP, HIRING FAKE OP-ED WRITERS, AND SO FORTH. I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONNECT ALL THE DOTS. THE COAL INDUSTRY IS BEHIND THIS PARTICULAR THING. IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHAT GROUP IS BEHIND THE WEBSITE. THERE'S A WEBSITE CALLED STOP ELON FROM FAILING AGAIN, WHICH IS A RELENTLESSLY NEGATIVE WEBSITE THAT PORTRAYS HIM AS SOMEONE WHO JUST SUCKS UP FEDERAL SUBSIDIES AND DOES NOTHING IN RETURN FOR IT. THAT WEBSITE IS AFFILIATED WITH A CONSERVATIVE GROUP, AND THAT GROUP IS A 501(C) FOUR GROUP, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DISCLOSE ITS DONORS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHO IS PROVIDING THE MONEY FOR STOP ELON FROM FAILING AGAIN. >> ARE THEY MAKING UP STUFF? >> FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE AGGREGATING STORIES WITH BAD NEWS ABOUT MUSK'S COMPANY. THE COMPANIES HAVE HAD A ROCKY UP-AND-DOWN HISTORY. AND, IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU GET THE SORT OF MOCK EDITORIALS. ARE THEY MAKING STUFF UP? IT'S VERY NEGATIVE OPINIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING HE DOES. HIS COMPANIES HAVE RECEIVED CERTAIN TYPES OF INCENTIVES FROM GOVERNMENT AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. THAT'S A FACT. IS THAT A TERRIBLE THING, OR IS THAT SMART POLICY TO ENCOURAGE SOLAR ENERGY THROUGH HIS COMPANY , SOLAR CITY? HE'S NOT THE ONLY PERSON IN THE

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The Fake Reporter Targeting Elon Musk

Tesla's Elon Musk finds himself a consistent target of Internet trolls. At least one of those trolls turns out to be fictional. Carol Massar and Oliver Renick talked to Bloomberg Businessweek's Paul Barrett about the fake reporter targeting Elon Musk. (Source: Bloomberg)

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